QJEEM23Chff39: JEE Main 2023 Chemistry - Class 12 JEEM23Chff39 Solution: In the wet tests for detection of various cations by…

In the wet test for detection of Group 5 cations, including Ba²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Sr²⁺, ammonium carbonate ((NH₄)₂CO₃) is used as a group reagent. The reaction with barium ions (Ba²⁺) can be written as :

$\mathrm{Ba}^{2+} + \left(\mathrm{NH}_4\right)_2\mathrm{CO}_3 \rightarrow \underset{\text{(white precipitate)}}{\mathrm{BaCO}_3 \downarrow} + 2\mathrm{NH}_4^+$

Upon adding ammonium carbonate to the solution containing Ba²⁺ ions, a white precipitate of barium carbonate (BaCO₃) is formed, which can be used to identify the presence of barium ions in the sample.